Flagship Portsmouth

The Mary Rose was one of the earliest ships to carry heavy guns. She was a favourite of King Henry VIII and sank off Portsmouth in 1545 during an engagement with a French invasion fleet, in full view of the King, the screams of the men onboard, ringing in his ears.

The hull of the Mary Rose is currently withdrawn from public view and will next be open to the public in 2012, when she will be housed in a brand new boat-shaped museum.

HMS Warrior

When HMS Warrior 1860 made her triumphant return to Portsmouth in 1987, she was fully restored to her Victorian glory and changed the panorama of the City, sitting proudly in the Harbour.

When she was originally built she was, quite simply, bigger, faster and more heavily armed than any other warship afloat. Warrior was the world’s first iron-hulled, armoured warship powered by steam as well as sail and constructed of wrought iron.

HMS Victory

HMS Victory is the Royal Navy’s most famous warship, the world’s oldest commissioned ship and a proud memorial to Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, Britain’s greatest Naval hero.

In 1805, Vice Admiral Lord Nelson on board his flagship, HMS Victory, led 27 British ships into battle off Cape Trafalgar against a much larger combined French and Spanish fleet.

Thanks to Nelson’s inspired leadership, the British won a great victory and the Battle of Trafalgar has become a defining moment in our history.